Ratan Tata delivers a deeply poignant and timeless message in his closing keynote at YourStory’s TechSparks 2020

Ratan Tata does not make many public appearances. But when he does, everyone listens with rapt attention to what he has to say, especially the youth who have much to learn from his latitude of rich experience. 

YourStory’s TechSparks 2020 event was one of those rare occasions where we had the special honour of listening to Mr Tata speak, as the revered industrialist, investor, philanthropist, and Chairman of Tata Trusts graciously delivered the closing keynote at our flagship technology and entrepreneurship event, which went completely virtual and global for the first time ever. 

Mr. Tata’s message, in his closing keynote, was as simple as it was poignant and timeless -- reflect on what you can do for humanity and measure your success by the difference you can make to your country, the world, and the larger universe, not by ‘money value’. 

“We must ask ourselves, can we make a difference? Can we be innovative and creative and not just look at the money value of what we've done but the contribution it has made to our humanity and our human population in India? So we should be humble, at the same time, attentive to the needs, looking for opportunities,” Mr Tata, said in his direct and heartfelt message to the global audience of over 100,000 at TechSparks 2020. 

Technological innovations must address the greater need to solve humanitarian challenges, while adapting solutions to meet the ever-evolving needs of the country in different segments, including healthcare, agriculture, space-tech, advanced electronics, and clean-tech, as well as the issue of hunger and food shortages, the 82-year-old doyen of the Tata Group said at TechSparks 2020.

“So, it’s a very mixed and complex set of innovations -- some very small but very successful; others big, calling for large amounts of capital,” elaborated Mr Tata, one of the most successful businessmen in the world who single-handedly took the Tata Group to global heights. 

Mr Tata, who is arguably the most respected industry captain of our generation, also expressed both hope and credit for what is happening in the tech world in India, while recognising TechSparks 2020 as a great platform to celebrate and recognise the efforts of those who are already on the path to creating impact for humanity.

He signed off on an optimistic note, saying he looks forward to the Indian startup ecosystem being the “most dynamic segment of India’s future.”

“I think TechSparks is an excellent way to voice this creativity to challenge and also register and recognise what has happened. I wish this group great success, and this success will only be measured in what one does for the country or for the universe. Many of you are going to be tremendously successful and it’s a pleasure to be with you today. All the best, and we look forward to this being the most dynamic segment of India’s future. Let’s make it dynamic and make a difference at the same time. ”

Watch Ratan Tata's full keynote address at TechSparks 2020 or read his full message below.

Closing keynote at TechSparks 2020 by Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts: Full message

It is a privilege to have this opportunity to express both hope and credit for what is happening in the tech world in India. We have the largest startup population in the country, and in the world, actually. And we need to recognise that this element, this segment needs, on the one hand, self-contained creativity and innovation, but on the other hand, guidance based on the changing needs of the country as it grows.

So, as we stand today, we have witnessed a set of speakers who have talked about the opportunities, the challenges, the dangers and the advent of failures, which inevitably also accompanies success. And we have before us, a mix of the good and bad, the excellent and the not-so-good, the hopeful but unsuccessful. And we mesh it into a salad, if you might, of young, credit-worthy entrepreneurs who have by their creativity, made successes of themselves, or are going to be successful.

However, the needs of the country are going to differ and change, and the creativity needs to adapt itself to meet those needs in the way no other segment can. We have to realise that we have a greater need for humanitarian challenges, healthcare, deliveries. We have great challenges before us on clean technology and green-based articulation of the challenges that are before us. We also have an issue of hunger and shortages; food is going to continue to be an issue that will have to meet the needs of the people.

We have technologies relating to agriculture, while on the other hand, we have advanced electronics and space-age technologies, travelling around the gamut of the earth that we know today. So, it’s a very mixed and complex set of innovations, some very small but very successful, others big, calling for large amounts of capital.

To put it all together, we must ask ourselves, can we make a difference? Can we be innovative and creative? And not just after the money value of what we’ve done, but the contribution it has made to our humanity, our human population in India. So, we should be humble, at the same time, attentive to the needs, looking for opportunities.

And once again, I think TechSparks is an excellent way to voice this creativity to challenge and also register and recognise what has happened. I wish this group great success, and this success will only be measured in what one does for the country or for the universe. So, with it will go a lot of recognition to the young, creative entrepreneurial workforce, while at the same time demanding recognition on a global basis to young people – where age doesn’t matter, where creativity and innovation is the call of the day.

All of you have a great world before you and great opportunities. Many of you are going to be tremendously successful and it’s a pleasure to be with you today. All the best, and we look forward to this being the most dynamic segment of India’s future. Let’s make it dynamic and make a difference at the same time. When we are not doing it for ourselves, we are doing it for the enjoyment of doing something that hasn’t been done before, but more importantly, meeting the needs of the country or the planet as such.

Thank you again for the excitement that you collectively provided me, and I wish you again, all success.

For more information on TechSparks 2020, check out our TechSparks 2020 website. Sign up here to join the event. 

TechSparks - YourStory's annual flagship event - has been India's largest and most important technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship summit for over a decade, bringing together entrepreneurs, policymakers, technologists, investors, mentors, and business leaders for stories, conversations, collaborations, and connections that matter. As TechSparks 2020 goes all virtual and global in its 11th edition, we want to thank you for the tremendous support we've received from all of you throughout our journey and give a huge shoutout to our sponsors of TechSparks 2020.